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Apr 28, 1576
Tycho Brahe
Before the telescope was invented, Tycho Brahe evaluated the position of Mars using large instruments and using sharp, alert eyesight. -
Observed through telescope
Galileo Galilei observed Mars with a telescope, becoming the first person to use it to observe space. -
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler published a book called New Astronomy, which said his first two laws of planetary motion. Kepler's first law suspects that Mars has a crooked orbit, which was a new idea at the time. Until then, the beliefs at the time that said since a circle was precise they assumed that all orbits must be in a circular motion. -
Christiaan Huygens notices 24 hour rotation of Mars
Christiaan Huygens used a telescope that he constructed. He wrote his observations that consist of large, dark spot on Mars. He sees that the spot comes back to same location at the same time the next day, and evaluated that Mars has a 24 hour period. -
Huygens sees white spots
Huygens is the first to see a white spot at the South Pole, which could have likely been a polar ice cap. -
Huygens suggestion of Aliens
Huygens published a book that talks about what a planet needs to support life, and wonders if there is intelligent life or in other words aliens on Mars. This is one of the first published passages showing thoughts of life on Mars. -
Herschel Interperations
Herschel calculated that Mars has a 30 degree tilt from observing Mars but, it's actually 25. 19. He also miscalculated that Mars dark areas are oceans. When two stars passed closely to Mars and hardly affect the planet he assumed that Mars had an atmosphere like Earth -
Honore Flaugergues yellow clouds
Honore Flaugergues, sees "yellow clouds" on the surface of Mars, which will be discovered to be dust storms in the future. -
Canali interpreted as Canals
Schiaparelli mentions the word "canali" to describe the indented slashes on the surface of Mars. This is misunderstood to mean "canals," and is thought to tell people that Mars has intelligent life that has constructed an arrangement of canals. -
Mariner 4
Mariner 4 gave the first close-up pictures of another planet and it confirmed that Mars had a thin atmosphere made of carbon dioxide. Also they identified a magnet field. Mariner 4 stayed there for 3 years taking 21 pictures. Some pictures were about the solar winds and others showed impact craters from Mars. -
Mariner 6
Mariner 6 flied over the equator and the south polar vicinity and studied Mars surface and atmosphere with remote sensing.75 images were taken and dark strokes were seen called a canali. -
Mariner 7
After Mariner 6 gathered data on Mar's atmosphere and surface. Mariner 7 took even more pictures. The exact number would be 126 images. -
Mariner 9
Mariner 9 became Mars first artificial satellite. Once it arrives there was a huge dust storm that went on for a month. After it blew over the rover saw huge volcanoes and a large canyon that was about 4,800 kilometers long. Then, the rover mapped out the whole surface of Mars with its camera. Also, this rover showed the first close-up pictures of Mar's two moons named Phobos and Deimos. In all it came back with 7,329 images. -
Viking Missions 1 and 2
Part of the Mars Missions that included 2 orbits and 2 landers were sent to look for life on Mars by observing the biology of Mars. They believe that the ultra-violet radiation of Mars prevents life from ever arising on Mars. -
Mars Path finder
Mars Pathfinder landed in Ares Vallis which contains different rocks that was placed there by water flow. It sent back 2.3 billion pieces of information. Of that information 16,500 images from the lander and 550 images from the rover, and more than 15 rocks and soil have been chemically evaluated and a large amount of data on winds and other weather. -
Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Global Surveyor took more images of Mars than in the past. It used high resolution cameras showed debris that could have been moved by water. It found out that Mar's magnetic field is local found in parts of its crust. It also took pictures of new impact craters and an amount of carbon dioxide in the ice is being reduced within the south polar cap. Its images of the atmosphere will be used in the future for improving acrobraking. -
Sojourner Truth
The Sojourner truth was the first rover to ever land on a different planet and stayed on the surface of Mars for three months. -
Mars Odyssey
Using high resolution cameras the Mars Odyssey took over 130,000 images. It's still collecting data about Mar's climate, geology and minerals. -
Phoenix
The phoenix will drill into the ice in northern Mars. Then it will test of soil and ice to see if Mars can be a good place for life. Indications of carbon dioxide would be one sign for example. -
Curiosity Lands on Mars
Curiosity landed on Mars and is observing Mars to see if it supports life.
